Marvel Rivals Captain America guide: Abilities, ultimate, tips, more

Michelle Cornelia
A screenshot featuring Captain America in Marvel Rivals.

Marvel Rivals’ Captain America is a flexible Vanguard that has decent mobility abilities and here’s everything you need to know to play as him effectively.

While you’re essentially free to play whatever role you want in Marvel Rivals, knowing how to flex and fill the team composition can do wonders regardless of whether you’re in a normal game or ranked. Captain America is a Vanguard that almost feels like a mix of everything, and he’s perfect if you’re looking for a tanky character that can also dish out damage.

To top it off, he’s got a decent amount of mobility, allowing you to be flexible with your playstyle when playing as him. That said, he can be tricky and confusing to use in the game if you don’t know what you’re doing.

We’ve gathered all the details below regarding Captain America’s abilities and ultimate and how you can make the most out of his entire kit.

Captain America’s stats in Marvel Rivals

As a Vanguard, Captain America has much more health than the average Duelist and Strategist. While his movement speed is similar to everyone else, he can be a lot more mobile thanks to the buffs he got from his ultimate and mobility.

  • Class: Vanguard
  • Health: 650
  • Movement Speed: 6 m/s

Weapon

A screenshot featuring Captain America using throwing his shield in Marvel Rivals.
Captain America throws his shield as a ranged attack.

Captain America uses his shield, which can deal damage within close and long range. The way this works is that when you land two melee hits, you’ll be able to throw the shield four times at the enemies.

Weapon TypeMelee and range
Melee range4m
Shield Flying Speed60m/s
Max Flying Distance25m
DamageMelee Attack Damage: 40, Flying Shield Damage: 45
Ammo4 throws

Abilities

His abilities allow Captain America to quickly dive into the enemy backline and pressure the supports during team fights. On top of having a lot of health, his shield dash makes it difficult for him to kill if you play your cards right.

A screenshot featuring Captain America putting up his shield in Marvel Rivals.
Captain America’s shield is a lifesaver but you’ll need to get the timing right.

One unique thing regarding his kit is not only is he able to put up a shield, but he’s also capable of deflecting projectiles, which can easily turn the tide of the game with the right timing.

His ultimate is also helpful during team fights as his teammates can receive buffs if they’re inside the trail left behind Captain America.

AbilityDetailsWhat it does
Leading DashMovement Boost: 33.40%
Fearless Leap Height: 5m

Boost speed and enable Fearless Leap to leap into the air.
Vibranium Energy SawProjectile Speed: 60m/s
Maximum Distance: 25m
Number of Ricochet: 3
Damage: Start at 70, with a 20% reduction for each ricochet
Cooldown: 8s
Hurl the energy-charged shield to strike enemies in a path.
Liberty RushDash Distance: 12m
Damage: 30
Cooldown: 12s
Raise the shield and charge forward.
Super-Soldier SlamMaximum Distance: 20m (horizontal)
Damage: 30
Slam down from the sky onto the targeted area, Launching Up enemies.
Living LegendShield Health: 400Raise the shield to deflect incoming projectiles, sending them ricocheting in random directions.
Freedom Charge (Ultimate)Range: 4m
Spell Area Duration: 5s
Health Recovery Rate: 150 health to self and 100 to allies
Movement Boost: Grant a 30% Movement Boost to both yourself and your allies
Shield held high, carve a path forward, granting both himself and allies along the path continuous Bonus Health and Movement Boosts. Using Living Legend or Leading Dash while this ability is active can Launch Up enemies.
Charged Aegis (Team-Up Ability)Shield Flying Speed: 100 m/s
Max Flying Distance: 25m
Damage: 50
Movement Boost: Movement Speed + 1 m/s
Thor infuses Thorforce into Storm and Captain America, granting them an electrifying enhancement. With an electrifying enhancement, Storm can unleash a lightning barrage. With an electrifying enhancement, Captain America gains a Movement Boost, and his shield is imbued with thunder power, electrocuting nearby enemies.

How to play Captain America

Captain America is a Vanguard that can be played differently depending on your team’s comp. On one hand, he can wreak havoc in the backline when he’s uncontested, but at the same time, he’s also a decent brawler – able to tank in so much damage.

As a Vanguard, your job as Captain America is to make as much space as possible for your Duelists to deal damage. Remember that you can sprint and jump to the enemy team – just don’t overextend.

While it’s true that you have both Fearless Leap and Liberty Rush to rotate around the point quickly, ideally, you should use only one of your mobility abilities when engaging the enemy team. The other one should be saved when you need to disengage or need to get back to your healers quickly.

A screenshot featuring Captain America using Super Soldier Slam ability in Marvel Rivals.
Super Soldier Slam can be used to engage and dive unsuspecting enemies.

The only time it’s alright to use them both is if you’re confident that your team can follow you up and clean up the kills. After all, the last thing you want to happen is to get stuck in the middle of the enemy team. No matter how much health you’ve got, if you’re in a bad spot, you’ll just get melted.

Despite him being a good character to dive into, Captain America is also a solid pick to help peel the team’s backline. His shield is a really vital asset that can easily turn the tide of the fight as it can deflect enemy projectiles. 

With his shield up, you could deflect back Mantis’ sleep, Luna Snow’s freeze, and even Iron Man’s ultimate, among others.

Additionally, you’ll also want to be smart when it comes to using his ultimate. The key is not to rush or waste it and wait for the perfect moment. 

A screenshot featuring Captain America's trail from his ultimate in Marvel Rivals.
Captain America’s ultimate is perfect to give the team more sustain to stall a point.

Don’t hesitate to hit Q if you see the enemy team about to push the objective and your team is grouped together because your teammates will get buffs when they’re within your ultimate’s path.

Best team comp

We’ve gathered some of the heroes that would complement Captain America’s playstyle, making him an even more great pick overall.

  • Thor
  • Spider-Man
  • Hawkeye

Thor

Thor in Marvel Rivals

Not only can Thor help soak up damage as an additional Vanguard, but he pairs well with Captain America because of his Team-Up Ability. If Thor is in the team, Cap will be able to get a movement boost, and thunder power will be imbued in his shield, allowing him to electrocute nearby enemies – perfect in team fights.

Spider-Man

Marvel Rivals Spider man k

Spider-Man can work really well with the Vanguard because he’s a dive hero who can help harass the backline. Spider-Man is squishy, so having a character with a lot of health distracting the enemies while he deals damage is ideal. Plus, he can get in and out quickly, thanks to his mobility.

Hawkeye

Marvel Rivals Hawkeye

Hawkeye is another solid choice when paired with Captain America. A good Hawkeye should be able to land their hits when the enemies are knocked up from his Super Soldier Slam ability. Additionally, Captain America can help create space for the long-range Duelist to focus on hitting their shots on the enemy team by distracting them from the melee range.

Best counters

As with any other hero in the entire roster, the Vanguard also has certain matchups that put him at a disadvantage – mainly from heroes that can outrange him.

  • Hela
  • Black Widow

Hela

Hela in Marvel Rivals

A good Hela constantly landing her shots can make anyone’s life a nightmare in the game. The thing with her is that while it’s possible for Captain America to deflect projectiles from her ultimate back to her, the duration of her ultimate outlasts his shield’s health. And even if the projectiles hit Hela back in the sky, she has a ton of HP, making her hard to kill.

Black Widow

Marvel Rivals Black Widow

Black Widow can pressure the Vanguard from a mile away, burning his shield down if she needs to. As a Duelist with decent mobility and melee abilities, she can be a hard character to target. Chasing her down would most likely leave you in a bad spot – and the Black Widow can land all her combos on you within melee range to chip away your health.

Overall, with Captain America, you’ll want to be strategic with how you play. You’ll have to take a look and understand your team comp, as sometimes it could be a good idea to push the objective and be aggressive. Just ensure you have at least one escape ability and are ready to be safe.

Now that you know how to play Captain America in the free-to-play shooter, check out some other Vanguards, such as Hulk, Groot, and Magneto.

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